Eight years after feeling like a 'dodgy Spanish timeshare salesman' as he tried to sell his Olympic vision, London 2012 chairman Lord Sebastian Coe looked on at the first morning of the Olympic trials at the Aquatics Centre.

Coe watched the likes of World Championship medallists Hannah Miley and Ellen Gandy take to the water on the first day of the first competition to be held at the Aquatics Centre.

World championship medalist: Hannah Miley in action during her heat for the Women's 400m Individual Medley

For Coe it evoked memories of attempting to persuade the International Olympic Committee London should be chosen to stage the 2012 Games, a bid they eventually won in July 2005.

Coe said: 'I was basically standing on a tower block half a mile from here and trying to say to the IOC "you see that 50-foot mountain of fridges, we're going to put an Aquatics Centre there".

'I felt like a slightly dodgy Spanish timeshare salesman.

Water display: The Aquatics Centre is playing host to the British Olympic trials

'Having moved 80,000 tons of contaminated soil and replaced it with 120,000 tons of clean soil, which we did on this site, having dealt with the archaeological find of four skeletons under the site, having moved about 100 really dilapidated and some of them disused business premises, to have something we consider to be the gateway to the (Olympic) Park - 75 per cent of people coming into the Park will be through this gateway - we thought it was really important we made this the iconic venue.'

While the capacity this summer will be 17,000, it will be reduced to 2,500 post-Games with the provision to add 1,500 temporary seats, Coe admitting hosting the European Championships would be a future ambition.

For the double Olympic champion, the Aquatics Centre will be an integral part of the Games legacy, and especially to London, considering the lack of London-based swimmers on the international team in recent years as well as poor provision of 50m pools.

Coe also pointed to the regeneration of the east end of London, saying: 'It has recalibrated the economic balance in London.

'I don't believe it would have happened. 'What you are witnessing is construction over six years and it probably would have taken 30 to 40 years to have done.'

Over the line: Austria's Markus Rogan (L) is congratulated by Joseph Roebuck after winning the Men's 400m Individual Medley heat

Professing his admiration for the hard-working swimmers, Coe believes they - along with athletes and cyclists - cannot be beaten in terms of training.

He then joked: 'I'm going to get letters from 23 other sports, saying "what on earth are you talking about".'

The 55-year-old also described his memories of Grant Hackett's triumphant 1,500m freestyle victory in Sydney 12 years ago and its effect in Australia.

'People talk about Cathy Freeman putting her imprint on that but that was a great moment for Hackett.

'I was in Darling Harbour watching that and the place erupted. 'I think that did as much as Cathy Freeman.'

In the pool, Miley was highly impressive as she qualified fastest for tonight's 400m individual medley where she will look to book her spot on the team.

The Scot, second at the World Championships in Shanghai last summer, touched in four minutes 39.49 seconds and admitted she was surprised by her performance.

She said: 'I am really happy with that, I didn't expect it to be that quick.

'It felt really good and solid and I am happy with how it went, especially with the heats beforehand being quicker than I anticipated.

'I think that kind of spurred me on to make sure I got a solid swim. 'I was thinking about a 4:42, 43 so to do a 39 was unexpected.' As for the pool itself she said:

'It's awesome, and with the crowd around the atmosphere is going to be spectacular tonight. "Swimming in it feels really good, it's a lot different to a four-lane, 25m pool back home.'

Also through were Aimee Wilmott and Keri-anne Payne, who is looking to add pool selection to the open water spot she claimed last summer.